Soldier welcomes Afghan translator to US with bear hug

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A soldier welcomed his Afghan interpreter to the United States on Wednesday after buying him a plane ticket to ensure his quick arrival amid concerns the Trump administration might try to expand its travel ban to Afghanistan.

[...] this has made me much, much stronger, seeing people with the welcome signs.

Ball, a law student at Stanford University, led a letter campaign with fellow students, including many veterans, lobbying Congress to inquire about why it was taking so long for Amin to get a visa.

More than 13,000 Afghans and their immediate family members have been waiting to get a special immigrant visa for aiding the U.S. mission, according to the U.S. State Department.

Ball said the U.S. government should speed up the yearslong visa process for interpreters and cultural advisers in Afghanistan because their lives are at risk after helping U.S. troops.

Afghan soldiers and police have been suffering heavy casualties in their battle against a resilient Taliban insurgency, while U.S. forces continue to hunt down al-Qaida and Islamic State militants.